Blood Sister
by KnightLancer73
Summary: Catherine Cartwright is the oldest child after Adam. Elizabeth, Ben's first wife, had twins, a boy and a girl. Adam and Catherine have stuck together their whole lives, but what happens when she gets kidnapped and taken to Ute Territory by a man who lost his money and his horse in a poker game against Ben? Will Adam and his family be able to get her ransom to free her in time?


Blood Sister

**THE PONDEROSA**

Ben, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe Cartwright were sitting at the dinner table; Ben at the head, Little Joe and Hoss on his left, and Adam on his right. Outside, the sky was darkening.

Hop Sing came out of the kitchen with a plate of roast turkey in his hands. Hoss rubbed his hands together expectantly.

"Oh, boy!" he said, "This sure looks mighty good, Hop Sing." He eyed Little Joe's plate as Hop Sing served him.

"Thank you, Mr. Hoss," said Hop Sing, giving Hoss an extra large serving. He served Ben and Adam, each thanking him. He looked at the fifth place set on the table. "Where is Miss Catherine?" he asked Ben. "You say, 'She be back by dinner tonight.' But she not here."

"Oh, Hop Sing," said Ben, "she probably got caught up in town. And it is a long ride back to the ranch."

"Or maybe," said Little Joe in between bites of turkey, "maybe she's out at that Logan Smith's place. She's been on to him for quite a while now." He smiled.

"Now, Joe," said Adam, leaning across the table, "I heard straight from her that she went over to Logan's place so she could borrow his sister's copy of that new book she wanted to read."

The smile disappeared off Little Joe's face. "Oh," he said, looking down. "I just thought… He's tall and — and she kinda likes him…"

"You were jumping to conclusions," said Adam, leaning back. "And she does not 'kinda like' him."

Ben looked between his two sons and chuckled. They were always trying to figure out what she was doing. "At any rate, Hop Sing, it isn't too late. I know she'll be back any minute now."

Hop Sing sighed. "All right, Mr. Ben," he said. "But I have to keep stove burning until she does." He bustled back into the kitchen as the boys laughed.

Outside, a horse whinnied.

"See?" said Ben. "What did I tell you?"

Adam got up and went outside.

As soon as Adam disappeared, Little Joe leaned over the table. "You know," he said in a hushed voice as the door closed, "she still could've been with Logan."

"You don't give up easy, do you, little brother?" asked Hoss through a mouthful of turkey.

"Well –" Little Joe started.

"Pa, Hoss, Joe!" It was Adam, calling from outside. He sounded alarmed.

The three of them looked at each other questioningly before getting up and hurrying outside.

Adam was standing next to Thunder; a huge dappled gray Percheron. Catherine was nowhere to be seen. Ben reached Adam first.

"Where's Catherine?" he asked Adam.

"Red Canyon," said Adam, looking at a note in his hands.

"What?" Ben grabbed the note from Adam and read it.

"**I have your daughter. If you ever want to see her alive again, bring 25000 dollars and **_**my**_** horse to Red Canyon by Thursday night. Come unarmed.**

**-John McGeiver****"**

"John McGeiver?" said Little Joe. "Wasn't he the one you beat in cards last month, Pa?"

"Yeah," said Ben, still looking at the note.

"Well then, why would he go so far as to kidnap Kate to get all his money back?" asked Hoss.

"Because there was more to it than money," said Ben, looking up. He held up the note. "Remember he thought that I cheated the cards? And the horse he wants back – his horse – he put it up for security. You boys know which horse that is."

"Thunder," said Adam with realization. "Thunder was his horse. He put him up for security and he lost. Now he wants him back in exchange for Coyote."

"Along with all the money he lost," said Little Joe. "Wait… he didn't lose twenty-five thousand dollars in that poker game!"

"He didn't," said Ben. "He's just taking advantage of the situation."

"Yeah," said Hoss. "But, Red Canyon… That's all the way out in Ute Territory."

"And if he wants the money and the horse by Thursday evening…" said Ben thoughtfully.

"It's Saturday now, Pa," said Adam. "We've got five days to get there."

Ben looked thoughtfully at the note in his hands. "And we're going to use one of those days to organize a posse," said Ben.

"A posse?" asked Little Joe. "Why would we need a posse, Pa?"

Ben looked at his youngest son and said, "Because Red Canyon is a huge maze of red rock. Who knows how many men McGeiver has hidden in there? We may need some help getting her out." He looked around at his boys as they thought it over.

"Are you thinking," said Adam, "about not giving McGeiver the ransom?"

"That's exactly what I'm thinking," said Ben. "Kate loves this horse more than anything. I don't want to have to give him up."

"Pa, if I ride into town first thing tomorrow," said Little Joe, looking at his father, "and tell Sheriff Coffee what happened, will you pack my things for the ride?"

Ben glanced at Little Joe. "Yes, son," he said. He glanced down at the note. "Well," he said, "we might as well sleep on it, boys. Adam, will you bed down Thunder?"

"Sure, Pa," said Adam, leading Thunder into the barn.

**RED CANYON**

Two men were sitting by a campfire in a small canyon next to a creek. There were seven saddles lying around the fire. One of the men was eating soup while the other was serving himself. The second man sat down next to the first and asked, "When do you think John will be back with that Cartwright girl?"

"Well," said the second man, "he said he was going to be back with her tonight." He took a bite of his soup. "Maybe she was harder to get. He could still be getting her back up here."

"Now, Henry," said the first man, "you don't think a girl could've held up John do you?"

"Oh I don't know, Smithers," said the man now known as Henry. "I've seen my fair share of women who don't act like they should." He took another bite of his soup.

"Come on, Henry," said Smithers. "All women are the same. They like to do their hair all nice, wear fancy dresses, and put too much makeup on." He started in on his soup.

Henry sighed and shook his head. There was silence as they continued eating.

They heard voices and looked up to see four people coming towards them along the creek. A girl in black pants and a red shirt was being forced up the canyon by two men holding her arms, which were tied behind her back. Her empty left-handed gun holster was being held by another man behind them, aiming her gun at her back. They reached the camp and one of the other men shoved her down next to the canyon wall. In the firelight, Henry and Smithers saw a gash above her right eyebrow, still dripping blood. Her long brown hair, tied back in a thick braid, was falling in her face. She looked ready to pass out from exhaustion.

Henry smiled and looked at Smithers, who tried to avoid his gaze. Still smiling, Henry said to the man holding the gun, "Who've you got there, John?"

John put the girl's gun in the empty holster and walked over to the campfire. The other men followed him. "Catherine Cartwright," said John. "Why do you ask? Did you think she'd be some frilly girl who wears too much makeup? She's a Cartwright!"

"No," said Henry slowly. "But Smithers here did." He jerked his head in Smither's direction

"No I didn't!" said Smithers hastily. "I just said she - she _could_ be like that."

John smiled. "Well, never mind what she's dressed like," he said. "We have her and Ben Cartwright will be here Thursday night with my horse and the money." He went over to his saddle, pulled out his bowl, and served himself. The other two men followed suit.

Henry looked at Catherine again. "How'd she get that gash, John?" he asked.

John glanced behind him. "She tried to escape last night," he said. "You can thank Peter that she didn't get away."

"What did he do?" asked Henry.

"He pulled another one of his fancy gun tricks," said John. "One of his bullets ricocheted off a rock and—" he drew a line above his right eyebrow; then leaned back. "Stopped her in her tracks. She didn't try anything after that."

Catherine was the oldest child after Adam. Elizabeth, Ben's first wife, had twins, a boy and a girl. Adam and Catherine have stuck together like glue their whole lives. Her nickname Coyote came from Adam, seeing as how she could pick out a trail that's a week old and hunt down its maker. She knew that Adam and her Pa would do everything they could to get her out of this.

The bullet wound was really hurting her. It stung when her sweat rolled down her forehead into it. Blood covered the side of her face and down her neck. She wanted desperately to wipe it off, but her hands were still tied behind her back. Her wrists were rubbed raw from the ropes. John had tied them together tightly. She closed her eyes in pain and leaned her head on the canyon wall.

There was silence for a moment before she asked, "What do you want with me, McGeiver?"

John looked at her again. "Weren't you listening?" he asked. "I've captured you so your father will give me back the money and the horse he cheated from me."

"My father," said Kate, opening her eyes, "would never cheat at cards. He never cheats at anything. And it's your fault you lost Thunder; you put him up for security."

"Never mind what I did or didn't do," said John angrily. "The point is I got cheated out of a lot of money and a horse last month and I'm going to get them back." He finished his soup and stood up.

Kate smiled and leaned her head against the wall again. "This is a lot of trouble to go to for some money and a horse," she said.

John stepped over the creek and knelt down beside her. "Twenty-five thousand dollars might seem like a drop in the river for you Cartwights," he said. "But some of us," he gestured to his men, "think that to be an awful lot of money."

"You may see it that way," said Kate, nodding to him. "But I'm sure a lot of people would say that kidnapping is still a long way to go for something like this. And it'll be fun watching the seven of you fight it out over who gets what."

John shot an angry look at her and started to walk back to the fire.

"You know," Kate called after him, "my Pa and brothers aren't going to be very happy about the state I'm in when they get here. What with half my face covered in blood and my wrists rubbed raw from these ropes."

He stopped on the other side of the creek. "Henry," he said.

"Yeah, John?" asked Henry.

"Were you and Smithers going to relieve Scott and Timothy from guard?"

"Sure were," said Henry. "We were going to after we finished eating."

"You're done now ain't you?" said John.

"Well, yeah," said Henry. "Do you want us to go out now?"

"Yes," said John. "I want some fresh eyes out there tonight."

"Okay," said Henry. "Come on, Smithers." Smithers got up and the two of them followed the creek down the canyon and around a bend.

John turned around and crossed the creek again. He knelt down behind Kate. "Now I'm going to untie your wrists," he said. "And just to be sure you won't try to get away again; I'm tying your leg to the tree."

"Fair enough," said Kate.

John pulled a pocket knife out of the inside pocket of his jacket and cut the ropes holding her wrists. She slowly rolled her shoulders and rubbed her wrists as John tied a longer rope around her ankle to the tree. When he finished, he stood up and said, "If you try anything, you'll get worse than that cut on your brow." With that, he crossed the creek and went back to the fire.

Kate watched him get out his bedroll and lay it on the ground before she untied the neck tie around her neck and started wiping the blood off her face.

**VIRGINIA CITY**

Little Joe reigned his horse, Cochise, to a halt in front of the sheriff's office in Virginia City. He dismounted and tied Cochise to the hitching post and walked inside.

Roy Coffee sat at his desk reading a letter when Little Joe walked in. He looked up and saw Little Joe.

"Howdy, Joe," he said. "What brings you into town?"

"Sheriff," said Joe urgently, "it's Coyote; she's been kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" asked Roy. "By whom?"

"John McGeiver," said Little Joe, reaching into his jacket pocket. "Thunder rode in last night with this tied to his saddle." He pulled out the note and handed it to Roy. Roy read the letter, mumbling its contents to himself.

When he finished reading, he looked up at Little Joe. "Twenty-five thousand dollars and a horse?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah," said Little Joe. "And the horse he wants is Thunder. He lost him in the card game along with all his money."

"Well from what I heard," said Roy, "he didn't lose twenty-five thousand dollars."

"That's because he didn't," said Little Joe. "He's just taking advantage of the situation."

"Typical," Roy muttered, looking at the note again. "But if you need to get to Red Canyon by Thursday," he said, "why did you come to me?"

"Because Pa said that Red Canyon is a maze, and that McGeiver could be hiding any number of men in there; so Pa sent me here to get a posse together, just in case four isn't enough."

"That makes sense, Joe," said Roy, standing up and holding out the note to Joe. Joe took it and put it in his pocket. Roy walked out from behind his desk and grabbed his gun belt and his hat. "Come on," he said. "Let's go get that posse together."

They walked to the door and stepped outside.

**THE PONDEROSA**

Adam led Sport out of the barn and tied him to the hitching post outside the house. Ben came out of the house, noticed Adam, and walked over to him, Little Joe's saddle bags over his shoulder.

"Adam?" he called.

Adam looked up and saw Ben. "Yeah, Pa?"

Ben reached him, gestured at Sport and asked, "Do you plan on leaving without Hoss and me?"

"Well," said Adam, "Pa, the way I figure it, McGeiver will do anything to get what he wants."

"And…?" Ben pressed.

"And," said Adam, "I thought I would go to Red Canyon ahead of you guys to make sure Coyote is all right. McGeiver knows she's no good to him dead, but that won't stop him from keeping her an inch from her life. I thought if we had some one on the inside before you got there, McGeiver will be certain to hand her over without any double-crossing." He stared at his father.

"Hmmm." Ben thought about Adam's plan. "All right, Adam," he said. "You go ahead. Just-" he grabbed his eldest son's shoulder as he turned to mount Sport, "don't try to get her out before we get there with the posse, all right?"

Adam smiled. "Pa," he said, "Little Joe would do something like that." Ben let go of him and stepped back. Adam mounted Sport and rode out of the yard.

Ben watched him go. He was worried about Catherine. She was his only daughter among three sons. If anything were to happen to her… Ben shook his head. He mustn't think such things. She was the toughest girl he ever knew; she would get out of this. He readjusted Little Joe's saddle bags on his shoulder and walked into the barn.

**RED CANYON**

"Dadburnit," Kate grumbled. She was trying to get her foot out of her boot that was tied to the tree. McGeiver had tied the rope around her ankle, which gave her the perfect get away when the night came. She would slip her foot out of her boot, get her boot out of the rope, and escape into the night. The horses were tied a ways down the canyon, so nobody would hear her getting away. The only things she had to worry about were Henry and Smithers, who were out on guard. But she wasn't too worried about them right now.

But McGeiver had tied the rope very tightly; Kate had been working for the past fifteen minutes, trying to get her foot out of the boot. "Come on!" She pulled one last time on her foot and it came out. "Finally," she said, grabbing her boot and pulling the rope off of it. She put her boot on and slowly stood up. The campfire had died down and everyone in the camp was asleep. She quietly crossed the creek toward the group of sleeping men, looking for some water canteens. She found two and quietly took them. She then tiptoed out of the camp toward the bend in the canyon.

When she reached the bend, the canyon wall on her side steepened and the creek widened to form a deep pool. She was going to have to jump across to the other side, like McGeiver forced her to do earlier that day. She glanced back at the camp and then jumped.

As she landed, her foot slid on some loose rocks and she fell hard, dropping one of the canteens. It clattered on the rocks. Kate froze, waiting.

"Did you hear that, John?" someone asked sleepily.

"Yeah," said John. "Sounded like a canteen being dropped."

"Look!" someone else said. "It's the Cartwright girl; she's getting away!"

"Well then go after her!" John shouted, awakening the other men.

Kate spit and stood up. She ran around the bend as the bullets started flying. One hit the corner just as she ran past it.

"Don't shoot at her!" John yelled. "Only Peter will be shooting."

Kate reached another wide spot in the creek. A huge rock blocked her path. She would have to jump again. She looked back at the bend. Peter and the others were coming around, Peter in the lead, his gun in his hand. She looked back at the creek and jumped. Peter fired a shot and the bullet hit her in the left side just as she landed. She screamed and fell to the ground, holding her side. The bullet hadn't gone all the way through; it was lodged in her side. She lay on the ground, the bullet feeling like a hot poker jabbing into her.

"Nice shooting, Peter," said John, walking toward her. He stopped next to her and pulled out his gun. "I told you you'd get something worse," he said. "The next time you try anything like that, I will kill you personally." He looked over at Peter and Scott, who were standing nearby. "Take her back to camp," he said, walking back up the canyon.

Peter and Scott took hold of Kate's arms and pulled her to her feet. She whimpered in pain as they walked back to the camp.

**VIRGINIA CITY**

Ben and Hoss were sitting in the sheriff's office, waiting for Little Joe and Roy to get back with the men to form a posse. Ben had pulled out the ransom money from the bank, just so McGeiver would think he had kept his part.

The door opened and Little Joe and Roy walked in. Ben and Hoss stood up.

"Ben," said Roy, "I've got fifteen men and horses saddled and ready to go."

"Good," said Ben. "They know why we're going right?"

"Little Joe told them everything," said Roy.

"They're all willing to go, Pa," said Little Joe.

"All right," said Ben. "Let's go." He turned to the door and walked out. The others followed him.

Outside, fifteen men on horses crowded the street in front of the office. Ben looked over them and took a step forward. He addressed the men: "Now, you all know why you're here; my daughter has been kidnapped. We have until Thursday to get the ransom to John McGeiver. It's a long way to Red Canyon and I'll understand if any of you don't want to risk the ride. I know Catherine will too."

The men looked around at each other, seeing if anybody would say anything.

Hoss came up behind Ben. "Nobody ain't gonna call these men cowards, Pa," he said. "They all know the risks and they're willin' to get her."

"Well then, let's go get her," said Ben. He walked over to the hitching post, mounted his horse, Buck, and led him to the front of the group. Hoss and Little Joe came up in either side of him, Joe was leading Thunder. Ben looked back at the group of men one last time and urged Buck forward.

**RED CANYON**

Adam urged Sport into a canter. Ahead of him, Red Canyon loomed, a huge maze of red rock. The sun was setting behind them. He followed the road to the base of the canyons and halted Sport. A number of trails broke off from the road into the different canyons. Adam dismounted Sport and looked at the nearest of the trails. The tracks on it looked fresh; two or three days old. He mounted Sport and urged him up the trail.

The trail led Adam to a creek and ran right next to it. He rode past a small grove of trees and halted Sport to rest him and dismounted. He reached for one of the ties on Sport's saddle.

"Hold it right there, mister," someone said behind him. Adam felt his gun being pulled out of his holster. "Turn around. Keep your hands where I can see them," the stranger said. Adam slowly turned around with his hands up to find his gun being pointed at him by a man with a blue-green hat. He had a rifle tucked under his arm.

Adam looked at the man and asked, "Are you working with John McGeiver?"

"What's it to you?" the man said unkindly.

"Because," Adam said, "he's got my sister somewhere up here."

The man looked a little surprised. "Are you a Cartwright?" he asked.

"Adam Cartwright."

"You got the money?"

"No," said Adam. "My father does."

"Where is he?" the man asked.

"About a day's ride behind me," said Adam. "I came ahead to make sure Kate was all right. I know my Pa wouldn't want to give McGeiver the ransom and then find out she's dead."

"Fair enough, Cartwright," the man said. He gestured with Adam's gun. "Keep following the trail," he said. "I'll be behind you."

The man led Adam to a large clearing near a small waterfall with horses tied to trees. None of them had saddles on.

"Is your camp here?" asked Adam, tying Sport next to a sorrel.

"No," the man said. "It's farther up the canyon. The horses can't get up there."

"All right," said Adam. He undid Sport's saddle and lifted it onto his shoulder. He walked over to the man and gestured with his hand. "Lead the way," he said.

Scott looked at him suspiciously. "You're not gonna jump me when my back is turned are you?" he asked.

"Well, I wouldn't be able to get into your camp if I didn't have you with me, now could I?" Adam said.

The man narrowed his eyes. "Okay, Cartwright." He turned around and started climbing the rocks next to the waterfall. Adam followed.

Adam jumped over the creek again. The man had been leading him for ten minutes up the canyon. He had said the camp was just around the next bend. Adam looked up the canyon and saw a campfire. Someone was waiting for them on the edge of the camp. The man led Adam up the canyon to the camp. As they got closer Adam could see the person waiting for them was McGeiver.

When they were a few paces away, John asked, "What have you got there, Peter?"

"He says he's Adam Cartwright," said Peter, reaching John. Adam stopped behind him.

"A Cartwright, huh?" said John. "Does he have the ransom?"

"No," said Peter, "Ben does, and he's a day's ride back. Young Cartwright here said he came ahead of the others to make sure the girl was all right."

John muttered something to himself.

"Well," said Adam impatiently, "are you going to let me see her or not? I didn't ride all the way out here just to –"

"Adam?" It was Kate. Adam looked past John and saw her lying on the ground on the other side of the creek.

"Coyote," Adam whispered. Without waiting for John to answer him, he pushed past Peter, stepped over the creek and went to her, dropping Sport's saddle at her feet.

"Adam." A small smile appeared on Katie's face as Adam knelt down.

"Kate," said Adam, taking her hand in his. With his other hand, he stroked the stray lock of hair from her braid off her forehead. His eyes darkened when he saw the bullet wound. "What have they done to you?" he asked.

She inhaled sharply and closed her eyes. "They… they shot me, Adam," she said with difficulty.

"Shot you –?" Adam looked at her right hand. It was holding her left side where the bullet was. It was covered in blood. "Oh, no." he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his neck tie. He un-tucked her shirt and put the bandana on the wound. Kate put her hand on Adam's and held it against her side.

"Adam?" she said her eyes still closed. "Does Pa really have the ransom?"

Adam looked around to make sure nobody was listening. "Yes," he said, looking back at her. "And he's bringing a posse with him."

She opened her eyes. "A posse?" she asked.

"Yeah." He reached out for her head again and stroked her forehead with his thumb. "You've got a fever," he said, concerned. "When did you get shot?"

"The one in my side happened last night," she said, grimacing. She took a deep breath and continued, "The other one is just a graze, but I'm sure it's gonna leave one heck of a scar."

Adam sighed. "That it might," he said. He pulled his hand out of hers and pulled her shirt back down.

"Adam," Kate said. "It's cold… I feel really cold."

Adam looked at her, worried. "Hold on," he said, taking off his jacket. He moved behind her and put his hands under her shoulders. "Can you sit up?" he asked. She nodded and Adam helped her up. He put his jacket around her shoulders. As he set her back down, he looked around the camp, finding each of McGeiver's men. He wasn't going to let anything else happen to his little sister. His fury at McGeiver was building up inside him.

"When's Pa going to get here, Adam?" she asked.

"Sometime tomorrow afternoon," Adam said, wrapping his jacket tightly around her.

"Do you think I'm – I'm gonna make it 'til then?"

Adam looked at her. "What kind of a question is that?" he asked. "Of course you will." He put a hand on her shoulder. "You're my sister, and if there's one thing I've learned from you, it's that you're the toughest girl I've ever met." He leaned against the canyon wall. "Do you remember when you turned twelve, and Pa got you those new dresses for your birthday? You opened those packages and just stared at the dresses like they were from another planet." He smiled at the memory. "Pa understood. But then… running a ranch like the Ponderosa, I guess he needed all the help he could get." He paused, hearing Kate's labored breathing. "You've always been strong and able to hold your own, even when I'm not around to help. You even do the same amount of chores Hoss, Joe, and I have. You're strong Coyote. You're gonna make it out of here."

"Yes, Adam… but what if I –"

"Shhh…" Adam interrupted. "You've got to rest now." He sighed. "What's that song you like me to sing to you?

"I love a quiet girl.

I love a gentle girl.

Warm as sunlight,

Soft, soft as snow.

Her smile a tender smile.

Her voice a velvet voice.

Sweet as music,

Soft, soft as snow.

When she is near me,

The world's in repose.

We need no words;

She sees, she knows…

But where is my quiet girl?

Where is my gentle girl?

Where is the special girl,

Who is soft, soft as snow?

Somewhere, somewhere…

My quiet girl."

As Adam finished the song, Kate exhaled slowly. "Adam?" she said, her eyes closed.

"Hmmm?" said Adam, looking at her again.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love it when you sing?" she asked.

"Yes you have," he said, "on quite a few occasions."

Kate sighed and said, "Well… it sounds really good tonight."

Adam looked at his sister with concern and leaned his head on the canyon wall.

The sun came up over the horizon. Inside the canyons, it was still dark, but the first rays of sun were visible in the sky.

During the night, after Kate had fallen asleep, Adam had undone his bedroll from Sport's saddle and wrapped Kate in it. She needed to stay warm. He was lying next to her.

Adam woke up and rolled over. Seeing Kate, he remembered the night before and sat up. Kate was breathing hard and her hair was drenched with a cold sweat. He put his hand on her forehead. "Kate," he whispered, trying to wake her. "Coyote," he said, a little louder.

She breathed in sharply and woke up. "Adam," she said, still breathing hard. "What is it?"

"Your fever's worse," said Adam. He opened his saddlebags and pulled out some cloth. He wet it in the creek and put it on her forehead.

"Adam," said Katie, reaching for him. Adam took her hand. "Adam… what's Pa gonna do when… when he gets here?"

"Well," said Adam, putting the back of his hand on her cheek, "we didn't expect you to be shot. Pa isn't going to be very happy with McGeiver when he gets here. Our original plan was for me to come in a day before Pa, Joe, and Hoss got here with the posse. Pa was going to have the posse wait at the edge of Red Rock for about an hour while he, Joe, and Hoss found this camp with the ransom. We were figuring that once they were here, all of McGeiver's men would be focused on us." He looked around the camp. "How many men does McGeiver have, Coyote?" he asked.

She opened her eyes and looked at Adam. "There are seven," she said, grimacing. The bullet was really hurting her. "Including McGeiver."

Adam made a mental note to tell Ben that. "While we're all here in the camp," he continued, "Pa was going to stall McGeiver until Roy got here with the posse. I wasn't sure how Pa was planning on stalling, but with you shot… stalling shouldn't be a problem." He turned his attention to her side. He checked the wound. It was red and swollen, with clear liquid beading on it.

"How bad is it?" asked Katie.

"It's infected," Adam said. She could handle the truth. He felt her forehead and said, "You're gonna make it, Coyote. You have to stay with me, okay?"

She closed her eyes. "Okay, Adam," she said.

"Promise?"

"…I promise, Adam."

Adam lifted his hand off her head and looked toward the bend in the canyon.

"Adam?" asked Kate weakly.

Adam turned back to her. "What is it?" he asked.

She reached for his hand. He took it. "Don't leave me…" she said.

Ben reined Buck to a halt and held up his arm, signaling the men behind him to stop. Little Joe, Hoss, and Roy rode up next to him. Ahead was Red Canyon.

"Roy," he said, "go with the other men, and take cover in those trees over there." He pointed to a grove of trees off the road. "Wait for a half an hour, and then follow us in." He looked at Roy.

"All right, Ben," said Roy. He looked behind him. "Come on, boys," he called. He spurred his horse into a canter and led the men to the trees.

Ben looked at Hoss and Little Joe. "All right," he said, "let's go." He urged Buck into a canter and headed toward the canyons.

They followed the same trail that Adam had the previous day. Hoss had spotted the tracks and they followed the creek. After about ten minutes of riding, Ben suggested they water the horses. Hoss and Little Joe agreed and they dismounted. Ben bent down and checked Buck's front left hoof. He heard footsteps in front of him. Thinking it was Hoss or Little Joe, Ben didn't look up. It was the cocking of a rifle that made his head snap up.

A man was pointing a rifle at him. Ben slowly stood up. He felt his gun being pulled out of his holster by another man. He looked over at his sons. Two more men had rifles pointed at them. Their guns had also been taken.

"You Ben Cartwright?" asked the man in front of Ben.

Ben looked back at him. "I am," he said. "Are you working with John McGeiver?"

"That's right," the stranger said. He noticed Thunder behind Little Joe and asked, "Where's the money, Cartwright?"

"In my saddlebags," Ben said.

"Scott, get his saddlebags."

The man who took Ben's gun stepped toward Buck and lifted the saddlebags off of him. He checked inside as he walked over to the first man. "It's there, Peter," he said, handing them to him.

Peter looked inside the saddlebags. "Yep," he mumbled. He looked back at Ben. "All right," he said, "follow me."

He turned and headed up the canyon, Ben's saddlebags draped over his shoulder.

Kate had been unconscious for hours. Her loose hair stuck to her face in the cold sweat. Adam was worried beyond worry. She needed a doctor badly. The wound in her side was getting more and more infected by the hour. The sky was darkening and Adam was starting to worry about his Pa and brothers. They should've been here by now. What was taking them so long?

John was waiting at the edge of the camp for Peter and the others to come back with the Cartwrights.

"Adam..." Kate moaned, delirious. "Adam it hurts…"

Adam put his hand on Kate's arm, his concern for her growing. He heard voices behind him, and turned to see four of John's men leading his Pa and brothers up the canyon. He stood up and started toward them.

Ben saw John standing on the edge of the camp, waiting for them. He stepped over the creek again. Peter signaled for the others to stop and went over to John. He handed Ben's saddlebags to John and went into the camp.

John looked up at Ben and said with a smile on his face, "This money's gonna do me a great deal of good, Cartwright." He hefted the saddlebags in his hand. "Yesiree."

"Where's my daughter, McGeiver?" asked Ben.

"Oh don't worry about the girl, Cartwright," said John. "She's fine."

"That's not true, and you know it!"

Ben looked past John to see Adam walking toward them. He stopped a few paces behind John.

"Adam?" said Ben, alarmed, "Where's Catherine?"

Adam jerked his head back and said, "She's lying over there with a bullet in her gut."

Ben, Hoss, and Little Joe stared at Adam, aghast. Joe was the first to recover.

"Who did it, Adam?" he asked. There was anger in his voice.

"That's not important Joe," said Adam.

"But I want to know, Adam –"

"Joseph!" Ben interrupted, looking at Little Joe. He turned back to Adam. "Where is she, Adam?" he asked.

Adam glanced at John, who was looking in the saddlebags again. "Over here," he said, turning around and stepping over the creek. Ben, Hoss and Joe followed Adam over to where Kate was lying and Adam pulled open his bedroll and jacket. She moaned his name again. Ben knelt down beside her and felt her forehead. "When did this happen, Adam?" he asked.

"Two days ago," said Adam. "She needs a doctor, Pa. Now."

Little Joe knelt down beside Ben and looked at Kate's wound. He inhaled sharply as he pulled up her shirt and saw it. "He's right, Pa," he said. "It's bad."

Ben looked at her side and sighed. "How long has she been like this, Adam?"

"A few hours, Pa, but I don't think she's going to last much longer if we don't get her out of here. Now." Adam looked at his father, hard fury etched into his face.

Ben looked at his oldest son. "The posse will be here in half an hour," he said. "They can take care of McGeiver and his men while we get Catherine out and to a doctor."

"But she ain't gonna make it all the way to Virginia City, Pa," said Hoss. "Where're we gonna take her?"

"I know the doctor in Cedar City," said Ben. "It's not too far from here." He looked back at his daughter and stroked her brow.

"We can't take her all the way to Cedar City, Pa," said Adam. "The ride will kill her."

"Then we'll just get her out of this canyon," said Ben. "There are caves everywhere here. We'll find one of those."

Adam nodded.

"Is my horse with the others, Cartwright?" asked John.

"Yes," said Ben, standing up. "But I don't think I want to give him to you."

John looked up from the saddle bags. "And why's that?" he asked.

Ben took a step toward him "Because my daughter is lying here on the brink of death with a bullet inside of her!" He glared at John.

John shrugged. "My note said if you want to see her _alive _you'll come here," he said. "And she's still alive ain't she?"

"She's more dead than she is alive, McGeiver," said Little Joe.

"Well that ain't my fault!" said John. "She's the one who decided to run off."

"And you're the one who decided to shoot her," said Hoss.

"Naw," said John, "that was Peter." He glanced behind him to the man with the blue-green hat. "If you want to blame anyone, blame him." He looked into the saddlebags again.

Peter fidgeted nervously under Little Joe's glare. "I only done it because you told me to John," he said.

"Yeah, but you still did it," said Little Joe through his teeth.

"Joseph," said Ben, "he's not the problem."

"Not the problem!?" said Little Joe. "Pa, he –"

"Joe." It was Adam. The look on his face quieted Little Joe.

"Here's the way I see it," said John, looking up from the money. "I have what I want. You can take your girl and find yourself a doctor and everything will be fine."

"Fine?" Hoss spat.

But Ben had crossed the creek to stand in front of John. "All right," he said, "we'll go. But you listen to me and you listen good." He raised a finger and lowered his voice. "If my daughter dies, I will come after you, I will find you, and I will kill you."

"In cold blood?" John asked.

"No," said Ben. "In my daughter's blood."

John's eyes darted around Ben's hard face, his eyebrows drawn together.

"John! John!" It was Timothy. He came running up the canyon full-tilt, his gun drawn.

"What is it Timothy?" asked John.

Timothy tripped his way up to John. "I don't know who they are, John," he said breathlessly, "but they've killed Smithers… I just got away."

A chorus of shouting voiced turned everyone's heads to the bend in the canyon.

"And you brought them here!?" John shouted.

The boy looked taken aback. "But I had nowhere else to go!" he countered.

"Never mind that!" yelled Henry, pointing to the bend. "Here they come!"

Ben spun around in time to see Roy leading five men up the canyon.

"There they are, boys!" said Roy.

And the men opened fire.

Ben immediately turned back to his sons, who had moved between Kate and the guns. "Joe," he said over the firing.

Little Joe looked at him.

"Get our guns!"

Instantly, Little Joe bolted into the camp, his head ducked to avoid the bullets. Seconds later, he was throwing Ben's, Hoss' and Adam's guns to them. He was holding Kate's and his own. John's men started shooting in their direction. Little Joe returned fire, hitting Peter. He went down with a shout of pain.

"Ben!" It was Roy. He had run up the canyon to them. "Get out of here!" he said. He could see that something was wrong with Kate, but now wasn't the time to ask. "We'll take care of them."

Ben nodded. "Adam…" he started.

But Adam was thinking ahead. Kate was in his arms, his gun in Hoss' hand.

"Let's go!" he said.

The Cartwrights ran down the canyon, trying to avoid gunfire.

They reached the horses. Ben and Hoss went to theirs.

"Joe," said Adam, holding out Kate.

Little Joe got the message and shoved his guns into his belt. Adam handed over Kate and climbed onto Cochise. Sport's saddle was still in the canyon.

Kate moaned as she left Adam's arms. "Adam…" Her hand fluttered in his direction as he climbed onto Cochise. He and Little Joe looked at each other; then Adam held out his arms for her. Little Joe hoisted her in front of Adam, and Adam said, "Take Sport."

Little Joe nodded and mounted Sport. Then they turned their horses around and spurred them down the trail. They reined them to a halt in front of the first cave they came to. Little Joe slid off Sport and went to Adam. As Adam handed his sister to Little Joe, Ben said, "Hoss, come with me to get the doctor."

"Sure, Pa," said Hoss.

"Adam."

Adam turned to Ben as Little Joe handed him Kate, restless again.

"You and Joe stay here with Kate," said Ben. "Keep her here…"

With that, he spurred Buck around and tore out of the canyon, Hoss close on his heels.

Little Joe followed Adam as he walked into the cave and laid Kate by the wall. But with another moan from her, Adam realized she wasn't going to rest easy anywhere but with him. He pulled her into his lap and cradled her in his arms. "Shhh..." He said. She turned her head and rested it against his chest, finally calmed down.

Little Joe ran his hand through his sister's hair, which had completely fallen out of its braid. "She can't go, Adam," he said. The tears were evident in his voice.

Adam looked at his brother. "She won't, Joe," he said. And then he remembered their conversation in the canyon, and held her closer, his face pressed to her hair. "She promised me." he said the last line more to himself than to Little Joe.

Little Joe looked between his brother and sister, his hand still in her hair. There was always something stronger than family between his older siblings. Little Joe had yet to figure out what it was. He almost envied them for it. He and Hoss were close, always messing around and getting into trouble, but it was nothing compared to what Adam and Kate had. They could almost read each other's minds. Sometimes it was downright scary how well they knew each other. Adam would shoot a look to Kate, and she would respond with a completely different one, and they knew exactly what the other was saying.

But that didn't happen between just the two of them. Little Joe felt he had something with Kate. She was always helping him with his girl problems - of which he had a lot. She would always tell him exactly what to do and say with each individual girl he asked about. And she was right nearly every time. Joe didn't know how she managed to learn about wooing a girl for him _and_ how to run a ranch like the Ponderosa at the same time, but he was really glad she did.

He put a hand on Adam's shoulder. "She'll come back, Adam," he said. "She has to."

When the sky started to darken, Adam and Little Joe heard hoof beats. Joe was instantly on his toes, his gun drawn, but he relaxed when he saw Ben and Hoss stop at the mouth of the cave and dismount. Another man rode with them, a large medical bag strapped to his saddle. He dismounted with the bag and followed Ben past Little Joe into the cave.

"Here she is, Cassidy," he said, kneeling down next to Adam, who was still holding Kate in his lap.

Cassidy followed suit. He was about thirty, with light-brown, shoulder-length hair and a trimmed beard. He wore riding clothes. "Lay her down, Adam," he said.

"She gets restless when I'm not holding her," said Adam.

"I've got something for that," said Cassidy, reaching into his bag. "Just do it."

Adam set her on the ground, setting her off again. Cassidy brought out a bottle and a folded piece of cloth. He poured some of the liquid on the cloth and let it soak in, and then he put it over Kate's mouth and nose. She whimpered for a moment longer before the fumes took effect and she quieted.

"You can go, now," said Cassidy. "I'll come for you when I'm done."

Adam and Little Joe looked at each other, neither one wanting to leave Kate's side.

"Come on, boys," said Ben.

Slowly, the two of them stood up and followed Ben out of the cave.

Cassidy didn't come out of the cave for three hours. When he did, Ben and Hoss were leaning on the rock walls of the canyon, Ben holing the small picture of Elizabeth he carried with him, and Adam and Joe were pacing ruts into the trail. They stopped when they saw Cassidy.

"Well?" asked Ben.

Cassidy clasped his hands together. "I don't know if she'll make it," he said. "She could go either way tonight."

Ben and Little Joe looked down; Hoss shifted his weight onto his other leg.

"What are her chances?" asked Adam.

"She was in really bad condition when you brought me to her," Cassidy said. "Bullet wound infected; the bullet still inside her; dehydration; heat exhaustion… Honestly, I don't know how she's still alive." He put a hand on Ben's shoulder. "I've done everything I can," he said. "Whether or not she makes it through tonight is between her and God."

Ben nodded. "Thank you, Cassidy," he said.

"You boys can go sit with her," Cassidy said. "She needs _you_ now."

One by one, they passed Cassidy and went to Kate. She was lying with a blanket pulled over her, her long brown hair spilling over her right shoulder. She was wearing a new shirt – blue – and her wrists and head were wrapped with bandages from the chafing and the bullet. She was completely still. Ben, Adam, and Little Joe sat by her head; Hoss sat at her feet.

None of them could think of anything to say. They just stared at Kate, watching her chest slowly rising and falling, fearing that it might stop. Hoss laid down, soon asleep, the hard ride catching up with him. Little Joe leaned his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. Ben was still holding Elizabeth's picture, staring at the cave wall. Adam put a hand on Joe's shoulder. He glanced at Ben.

"Are you thinking about Ma?" he asked.

Ben closed his eyes and nodded; then looked at Adam. "Do you remember when you were sick, and the doctor didn't know if you would be alive in the morning?"

Adam nodded.

"I thought about her then, too," Ben finished.

Adam looked back at Kate. "We've switched," he said.

"Mm?" Ben asked

"When I was sick, Kate was sitting here, and I was lying down."

Ben nodded. "She sat with you all night," he said.

"You told me that night wasn't too long," said Adam. "Was it really?"

Ben looked at his oldest son. "It was, Adam," he said.

Adam hesitated; then asked, "Is this night longer?"

A pause. And then Ben nodded.

At about five o'clock in the morning, Ben and Little Joe dropped off as well, leaving Adam virtually alone with Kate. He took her hand and held it against his cheek, feeling its warmth. "You can't go, Kate," he said. "We need you. _I_ need you. You're my sister." He glanced at the picture of Elizabeth in Ben's hands. "No, you're more than that," he said, looking at her. "You're my full sister. Hoss and Joe may be our brothers… but they're only half-brothers. You and I…" He closed his eyes and held Kate's hand tighter. "We're twins – blood. You're my blood sister." Tears stung his eyes as he said the last words.

Something brushed his hair. "'N' yur my blud broth'r," a small voice mumbled.

Adam snapped his eyes open. "Kate?" he whispered.

Kate's eyes fluttered open. She smiled, her fingers in Adam's hand splayed to touch his face. "Heyadam," she slurred.

Adam smiled back. "Hey," he said.

"'Sit over?" she weakly asked.

"Yes," said Adam. "Yes, Coyote it's all over." He put his hand on the side of her head.

She sighed and closed her eyes. "It was dark, Adam," she said. "I didn' know where I was… where to go…" She took a breath. "An' then I heard your voice… an' I followed it." She looked at him. "I could tell when you weren' holdin' me."

"I know," said Adam. "It was the same when I was sick. I could tell when you weren't next to me. You disappeared off that clipper ship I said I was on."

"You ne'er told me I was there with you," she said.

"I didn't think I had to."

She thought about it. "I guess you didn'," she said.

"Why do you think that is?" asked Adam.

She looked him in the eye. "Don' think about it too hard, broth'r," she said.

"Right," said Adam with a half-smile. "Twins."

"Bingo," she said with a smile.

"Kate?" It was Little Joe. Adam took his hand off her head.

"Joe?" Kate asked, anxious to see her littlest brother.

Little Joe crawled to her. A smile broke through the hurt in his face as he saw Kate. "Coyote!" he said, sitting next to Adam. "You're okay!"

"I been better, Joe," she said.

"Yeah, I guess you have," he said as Kate reached out for him with her other hand. He took it. "It's good to have you back," he said.

She smiled. "Yeah," she agreed.

"Is that Kate I hear?" said Hoss, sitting up.

"Hoss," said Kate with another smile.

Ben had woken up and was gazing at Kate.

She noticed. "Pa."

Ben leaned forward and stroked her hair. "Katie," he said. "My beautiful girl."

Kate glanced at Adam; then turned back to Ben. "Was it a long night?" she asked.

Ben and Adam looked at each other. Adam smiled. "Not too long," said Ben.

Kate smiled. "Ma?" she asked.

Ben nodded. "Yes."

Kate closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A small moan escaped her and she slowly let the air out. She opened her eyes and looked around the cave. "Where are we?" she asked.

"Still in Red Canyon," Little Joe said. "Pa brought the doctor from Cedar City here."

"Cassidy?"

"That's the one." Little Joe said with a smile.

The man himself stepped inside the cave. He smiled when he saw Kate. "I thought I heard voices," he said, joining them. "How do you feel, Kate?"

"Like I been chewed up and spit out," she said, drawing laughs from the men. She chuckled herself, but stopped when her side complained. "Twice," she added.

"Huh," Cassidy laughed. "Well, I didn't expect anything less. I'm glad you're back."

"Thanks, Doc," she said, her eyes half open.

Cassidy noticed. "All right," he said, "I think this is enough excitement for one night. You need to rest. I don't want you movin' for a week." He smiled.

Kate smiled back. "No worries there," she said.

Ben stood up and grasped Cassidy's hand. "Thank you, Cassidy," he said. "For my daughter."

Cassidy clapped Ben's shoulder. "It's my job, Ben," he said. "But you're welcome."

Ben looked back to his daughter. "You're all right," he said. "You'll be all right, now."

Kate would have answered, but she had slipped into unconsciousness, her hands being held by her brothers.


End file.
